Monday, April 12, 2010

Free Affirmation Software

In today�s world, when most people are so obsessed with the word �free�, it would be a surprise if a computer enthusiast has not heard the term �free affirmation software. So what exactly is �free affirmation software? To start off, it is not exactly �free� as we understand by the word �free�. �Free affirmation software in not necessarily a software that you can get without paying anything for it!

One shouldn�t be surprised if one is asked to pay for a "free affirmation software. Yes, a "free affirmation software may come at a price. One may ask, "If that is the case then why do they call it free?" Well, call it poor choice of words or call it a mistake, the word �free� here actually means "freedom of use". The word �free� here has nothing to do with the price or cost of the software. In simple terms, this means that a user has the freedom to run, copy, modify and distribute such a �free affirmation software. Moreover, the user is also at liberty to distribute the �free affirmation software, in its original or modified form, either "free" (in the true sense of the word!) or "for a fee" to anyone in the world.

The term "free affirmation software has been actually around for quite some time now in the UNIX community before making its way to the general software jargon. But according to some people, the word �free� in the term �free affirmation software is somewhat misleading as most people to tend to assume such a �free affirmation software to be free in terms of price or cost!

So to avoid further confusion and clear up the ambiguity, a new term, called �Open Source�, was coined in 1998. What this new term means is that the source code for such a software is available to anyone for use and modifications. Nevertheless, a number of software vendors still prefer to stick to the old term "free affirmation software. One reason could be that the word �free� has it own �market value�. After all, the word �free" almost naturally draws most people�s attention and certainly generates some enthusiasm for a product! Therefore, next time when you come across a �free affirmation software, don�t forget to find out if it is indeed free in the true sense of the word or not. So, as the Romans used to say, caveat emptor!